“Whatever happens in the organization happens in the organization,” Maclin said. “This was a similar situation when the Eagles decided to part ways with T.O. That's just how the game goes sometimes. So I guess we'll see.”

The Eagles cut ties with Terrell Owens midway through the 2005 season after suspending him for conduct detrimental to the team.

Owens, who helped the Eagles to the Super Bowl in his only full year in Philly, and Jackson, a second-round draft pick in 2008, are the Eagles’ only Pro Bowl wide receivers over the past 15 years.

Maclin spoke at a charity event hosted by teammate Todd Herremans at a Center City restaurant.

All signs point to the Eagles trading Jackson this offseason, even though he’s coming off his third Pro Bowl season and the best year of his career, with 82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns.

Maclin, who missed last year with a knee injury, recently signed a one-year contract to return to the Eagles before hitting the open market.

Jackson has 6,117 receiving yards in six seasons with the Eagles; Maclin has 3,453 yards in four seasons. They rank third and 12th in franchise history in receiving yards among wideouts.

Head coach Chip Kelly was intentionally vague when asked about Jackson at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando on Wednesday, and Maclin took a similar tone on Tuesday.

“Anything is possible in this league,” Maclin said. “I think the organization is going to do what’s best for the organization. Everybody knows DeSean is a phenomenal talent, but at the end of the day, that's not a decision that players get to make or the city gets to make.

“That's a decision that the staff gets to make, and I think whatever they decide to do, and with any decision, that’s what you have to believe in, that's what you got to have faith in.”

Perhaps Maclin was simply being politically correct, not wishing to criticize management, but when asked directly if he wants Jackson back, he was non-committal.

“I want to win games, and obviously DeSean's a very talented player,” Maclin said. “So, I think, I want to win games.

“Like I said, to have him on the field, being able to make plays is a plus for the offense. But at the same time, anybody that's out there making plays is capable of doing something.”

Maclin was asked whether Jackson did anything last year to upset Kelly, who took the Eagles to 10 wins, a division title and the playoffs in his first year in the NFL.

“I can't speak on his behalf,” Maclin said. “Whatever that situation is, is what it is. They don't -- [owner Jeff] Lurie, [general manager] Howie [Roseman], Chip -- they're not calling down us, asking us, ‘Do we need to do this, should we do this.’ That’s not what it’s about.

“They’re going to do what’s best for the organization, and so far, so good. They put together a solid team and obviously last year proven so, bouncing back from that 4-12 season (under Andy Reid in 2012). I can definitely see this organization getting back into the playoffs and deep into the playoffs.”

Maclin said Jackson has matured personally over the five years they’ve been teammates but also said he has faith in Kelly and Roseman to do what’s best for the team.

Even if that means trading a 27-year-old with 21 career touchdowns of 40 yards or more.

“DeSean's a great talent,” Maclin said. “That's undeniable. As far as everything else, man, he's come a long way. He's matured in the NFL. I think that's part of the process.

“But it's not for me to speak on another man's behalf. Whatever happens, that's what we have to roll with. ...

“You just have to have faith in the organization and whatever direction they decide to go in.”

Jordan Matthews experienced something new on Sunday. Something he hoped he’d never have to experience.

He was relegated to spectator.

After never missing a game dating back to little league – through high school, college, and into his third season in the NFL – a right ankle injury kept him out of Sunday’s 32-14 loss in Cincinnati.

“It’s definitely not fun,” Matthews said. “But it’s one of those things where I try not to dwell on it or be like ‘woe is me.’ There’s people going through way worse things in America than me missing a football game.”

The Eagles certainly could have used Matthews on Sunday. But they should get him back this weekend when the Birds host Washington for a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Linc. Along with Ryan Mathews and Dorial Green-Beckham, Matthews is listed as questionable.

But he seems confident he’ll be good to go.

“I think one game is definitely going to be enough for me,” Matthews said. “I’m definitely going to try to get back out there Sunday.”

On Friday, during his first media availability in two weeks, Matthews said he chose to find the positives in his absence from Sunday’s game. Namely that Paul Turner and Trey Burton got some extra reps.

Burton had five catches for 53 yards and Turner, in just his second NFL game, had six catches for 80 yards.

“I try to see the positives,” Matthews said. “I liked seeing what PT was able to go out there and do. I was happy for him and his first live-game action, being able to go out there and make plays. I was also proud of Trey. His role got to expand with me being out and I think he played extremely well. He got to show what he can do and show how he can help this team. We just have to continue to utilize him moving forward. There’s always a positive in it.

“We might not see it now, in a loss, but just think, some of those guys are going to be weapons for us in the future. And we saw they can go out and perform well without me in there, so I think it’s going to end up being a positive. But I definitely can’t wait to get back out there.”

Earlier in the week, head coach Doug Pederson said that even with Matthews’ returning, the team would still try to get Turner involved. Since the team sees Turner primarily as a slot receiver, that means Matthews could see time outside this weekend. There’s an even better chance when taking Green-Beckham’s injury into account.

Before the season, Pederson talked a lot about wanting to play Matthews both inside and outside, but this season, Matthews has been in the slot for 74 percent of his snaps. Forty-four of his 57 catches have come from the slot too.

On the play where Matthews hurt his ankle against the Packers, he was actually lined up outside and caught a back-shoulder throw from Wentz.

“I was actually joking with Carson,” Matthews said, “I was like ‘bro, the reason I got hurt was because our back shoulder was better than Jordy [Nelson] and Aaron [Rodgers’]. So it didn’t mesh well with the universe. It wasn’t supposed to happen that way on Monday night for everybody to see, so the football gods took my ankle. So it’s all good. … That’s a joke.”

Matthews, despite being in his third season, is clearly one of the Eagles’ leaders on offense, especially in a very young receivers room. He’s looking forward to playing Washington after he thinks they were the first team that “actually came out and beat” them earlier in the year.

With four games left in the regular season, the Eagles’ playoff chances are extremely slim. But Matthews thinks it’s important for the team to finish strong, especially with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.

With Wentz, Matthews thinks the Eagles have already taken the first step toward building something special.

“He’s the guy,” Matthews said. “He looks like the guy, he walks like the guy, he talks like it. And he goes out there and plays like it. It’s more we have to continue to ride around him and coach Pederson and be positive and go out there and produce.”

When the Eagles went into FedEx Field in Week 6, they had an opportunity to leave 4-1 and in great position in the NFC East. Instead, what ensued was a stretch of three divisional losses in four weeks by a combined 18 points.

Two months later, the Eagles are out of the race at 5-7 while the 6-5-1 Redskins are still battling for an NFC wild-card spot. The 'Skins would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today — they currently hold the seventh spot in the NFC, behind the Bucs (7-5) but ahead of the Vikings and Packers (6-6).

This is obviously a crucial game for Washington, but the Eagles are just as desperate after losing by 11, 14 and 18 points the last three weeks. Don't underestimate the role desperation and a few weeks of embarrassment can have on a team's ability to bounce back. It was partly why I cautioned in these scouting reports the last two weeks not to count out either Green Bay or Cincinnati, teams that had more talent and stability than a few weeks of midseason losses indicated.

Cousins and ReedThe next time the Eagles limit Kirk Cousins will be the first time. In four games against them, he's completed 63 percent of his passes, averaged 336 yards, thrown 10 TDs and two interceptions and rushed for another score. Washington has averaged 31 points and won three of the four contests.

The Eagles' margin of error on defense is extremely small in this game. To win, they'll need a better effort against a Redskins' ground game that gashed them for 230 yards last time, they'll need to generate consistent pressure on Cousins and they'll need Jordan Reed to not be himself.

Reed, the NFC's most dangerous tight end, is questionable with a Grade 3 AC joint separation suffered on Thanksgiving. Reed was a warrior on Turkey Day, leaving the game in the second quarter, standing on the sideline in a sling, probably receiving a little (ahem) help at halftime, and then dominating in the second half in Dallas. Reed finished that game with 12 catches for 95 yards and two TDs, but was hurt badly enough to miss last week's game.

The Eagles were fortunate to avoid Reed in the season's earlier matchup. Fortunate because he destroyed them last December, catching nine passes for 129 yards and two TDs in a 14-point win. Washington uses its tight ends more than any offense in the league, and Reed is a mismatch even for an Eagles team that has allowed the fewest catches (31) and receiving yards (327) to tight ends.

With Reed out in October, backup Vernon Davis burned the Eagles for two catches, 50 yards and a TD. But it sounds like Reed will play Sunday after telling reporters that his range of motion is back.

The issue in stopping Washington is the Eagles just don't have enough defensive backs to defend everything. It's why they need Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham to get consistent pressure and keep Cousins out of a rhythm. They haven't been able to do that. They had no sacks in Washington in Week 6 and have failed to sack Cousins in two of the last three meetings.

Without forcing Cousins to get off his spot and get the ball out quickly, the Eagles' secondary hasn't shown anything to inspire confidence they can stop DeSean Jackson, Jamison Crowder, Pierre Garcon, Reed and Davis at the same time.

To make matters worse, this is the first week Washington's All-Pro left tackle, Trent Williams, is back from a four-game substance abuse suspension. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams has allowed just three sacks in his last eight games against the Eagles.

Which Wentz will show?Last week was Carson Wentz's worst game as an NFL quarterback. He missed wide-open throws, threw three interceptions and could have thrown more and barely exceeded 300 yards despite throwing the ball 60 times.

He didn't look like the guy we saw the first four games of the season, and quite frankly he hasn't looked like a top-20 QB since October.

The lack of weapons and occasionally poor protection are major reasons why, but Wentz isn't void of blame — he's simply missed some makeable throws.

Against Washington back on Oct. 16, Wentz was just 11 of 22 for 179 yards as the Eagles lost the time of possession battle. The best days belonged to Ryan Mathews (9 carries, 60 yards) and Jordan Matthews (three catches, 75 yards). Both are questionable heading into this one.

Wentz didn't throw a single pass at Josh Norman in the first meeting. At times, Norman has followed the opposing team's top receiver, but don't expect him to do so this Sunday. Norman has lined up on the left side 64 percent of the time this season and in the slot just nine percent.

Slot matchupMatthews has run 73 percent of his routes from the slot and should draw third-round pick Kendall Fuller. As long as Matthews is sufficiently recovered from his ankle injury, this should be a good matchup for the Eagles.

Fuller has been beaten repeatedly this season, allowing 42 catches (on 53 targets) for 542 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterbacks have a 123.9 rating against him, third-worst among all slot corners. (Malcolm Jenkins is actually worst in this category with a 137.9 QB rating allowed in the slot.)

Fuller has also struggled to wrap receivers up after the catch, allowing an NFL-high 213 yards after the catch. Picking up yards after a reception is something the Eagles have struggled to do all year.

Run gameThe Eagles were shutting running backs down until they played the Redskins in October. Since-demoted RB Matt Jones rushed for 135 yards, current starter Rob Kelley rushed for 59, and both had a run of 45-plus yards.

Cox, Barwin and LB Nigel Bradham had awful games that afternoon against the run. It also didn't help that the Eagles were credited with 12 missed tackles.

Run-stuffer Bennie Logan left that game early with a groin injury and missed the next three weeks. Since returning, however, Logan hasn't been himself, struggling to rush the passer and stop the run.

The Kerrigan factorThe Eagles always have trouble containing Redskins pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan, who had three sacks in the first meeting.

Kerrigan has been a force in 2016 with 44 QB hurries, which is three more than Kahlil Mack and second-most among outside linebackers to Von Miller.

Kerrigan has nine sacks in 11 career games against the Eagles, and Washington is 5-1 when he has at least one against them.

PredictionClose game, better performance from Wentz and an awakening in the run game, but not enough defensive talent to shut down what Washington will try to do deep with Jackson and Crowder, over the middle with Reed and short with Garcon.